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Finally at long last, let the bells ring out!!!
I have finally seen a Julia Roberts picture that I really, really liked. I am not a Roberts fan and find most of
her films to be just fluff. I am not enamoured of her looks either. I just can not seem to get off on her work.
But ERIN BROCKOVICH has changed all that. She has finally gotten a role where she can prove that
she can act and do a marvellous job. Roberts and Albert Finney just lite up the screen on this one. If you
want to spend good, hard earned money on a superb 130 minute movie then ERIN BROCKOVICH is the
movie to see.
This film is based on a true story. The end result of the actions of Erin Brockovich and the law firm she worked for
was a $333,000,000.00 settlement. This settlement was the largest ever rewarded in a direct-action lawsuit in
US history. What made this movie unique was that it was not riddled with the usual Hollywood melodrama
where people try to kill the lawyers or burn their houses. It was just a well acted, well scripted story, that will
keep you enthralled all the way to the rewarding outcome.
  
Julia Roberts is very different in this film. She has a dirty mouth and dresses to show off all her assets. She is a
mother of three who takes very little guff but seems to be on the receiving end of bad luck. The beginning vehicle
mishap attests to that fact. She is jobless and trying to take care of her three children. She is constantly on the
prowl for work but things just do not seem to go her way. Finally she convinces Albert Finney, her lawyer to hire
her as an office worker. She also gets lucky with her next door neighbour, an out of work biker who really enjoys
taking care of her children. While filing she notices some strange medical records placed in a real estate file.
She asks her boss, attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney) if he wants her to persue the matter. A few days later she
returns and bad luck strikes again. She gets fired until Ed realizes something was important in what she was
doing. She negotiates her job back with benefits. Erin proceeds to describe the situation to Ed who realizes she
is on to something important , a massive cover-up of contaminated water that is destroying a local community
and slowly killing the residents.
 
Erin's persistance and personal interest she takes in their lives makes the residents listen to her story. The leery
citizens become involved in a class action suit because they feel she is one of them. She has this ability to
remember by heart everything about them. She can recite all their phone numbers, names, important things
about them all by heart. She really cares about these people and their suffering. She eventually signs up over
600 plaintiffs by going door to door. She becomes like a pit bull in gathering information against Pacific P&G.
She wants to help these people receive something for their suffering. Ed and Erin with the help of a major law
firm go toe to toe with this powerful utility and truimph against the odds. Erin also truimphs in proving herself
and in reinventing her life while helping these citizens.
Julia Roberts is backed by an excellent cast. Albert Finney is marvellous as the crusty old lawyer. Director
Soderbergh assembled an excellent supporting cast. Marg Helgenberger(China Beach) shines as a victim of
Pacific P&G. She is one of the worst cases. This is an ensemble film that has Roberts with excellent character
actors. They all make Julia Roberts shine. The chances are good that she will be nominated again for an
Academy Award(c). What makes this film so good besides the acting and the excellent script is that it all
seems real, not Hollywood. I must say I certainly am glad that I went quickly to see ERIN BROCKOVICH
instead of waiting like I usually do with Roberts films. Bravo to her. Money well spent and the popcorn was
great as well.
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